Freezing carrots is easy and doesn’t take much time. In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to do it (with or without blanching) so you can enjoy that fresh flavor all year long.
Whether from your garden, the grocery store, or the farmer’s market, you can easily freeze carrots so you’ll have them on hand whenever you need them.
You can heat them up for a quick side dish, or use them in stews, soups, and so many other recipes.
In this article I am going to show you how to freeze carrots with or without blanching. Try it both ways and see what works best for you.
Preparing Carrots For Freezing
Preparing your carrots for freezing is easy. They can be ready with just a simple rinse if you’re short on time and want to keep them whole.
Or you can peel and chop them into pieces first. I find that doing this makes it much easier to use them later on, but you can do it either way.
Can You Freeze Carrots Without Blanching?
The good news is that you can freeze carrots without blanching them. If you’re in a hurry, simply rinse them off and place them into baggies whole.
Although, it’s important to note that leaving them raw will change their flavor and texture.
That means that once they’re thawed, they’ll be mushier, which might be fine depending on how you intend to use them.
How To Blanch Carrots For Freezing
To blanch them before freezing, simply put your carrots into hot water with or without kosher salt.
I recommend leaving small whole ones in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Cut or sliced pieces should only be balanced for 2-3 minutes.
The goal is not to cook them, but to simply flash-heat them to seal in the goodness and kill germs. So take care not to leave them in for too long.
After blanching, immediately place them in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Related Post: Canning Carrots – The Complete How To Guide
Methods For Freezing Carrots
How you choose to freeze your carrots will depend on the time you have, and how you plan to use it later on. Below are the pros and cons to each.
Freezing Cut Up Pieces
The quickest and easiest method to use is simply filling the baggies with the raw or blanched cut up pieces.
One downfall here is that they could all stick together creating one large chunk, which will be difficult to separate later on without thawing the whole thing.
Flash Freezing
While this method will take a little longer, it’ll ensure you’re not stuck with one big frozen block of carrots when you go to use them.
To do this, you simply lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and put them into the freezer for 10-20 minutes, or until they’re solid, then fill your bags.
Tools & Supplies Needed
Below are the tools and supplies you’ll want to grab. But depending on the process you choose to use, you might not need everything on this list.
- Quart freezer bags OR the one gallon size
- Permanent marker
- Sharp chef knife
- Peeler
- Large bowl of ice water (optional)
- Cookie sheet (optional)
- Parchment paper (optional)
- Vegetable brush (optional)
How To Store Carrots In The Freezer
The best way to store frozen carrots is by using baggies. That way you can lay them flat and stack them to save space.
This also helps simplify the thawing process. But you could use a vacuum sealer if you want to reduce the worry of freezer burn.
How Long Do Frozen Carrots Last?
Frozen carrots can last a long time, but they’ll be best when you use them up within 10-12 months.
So make sure to use a permanent marker to label your baggies with the date you froze them so you know when they expire.
Related Post: How To Plant & Grow Carrots From Seed
FAQs
In the section below, I’ll answer some of your most frequently asked questions. If you don’t see yours here, ask it in the comments below.
Can I freeze carrots without cutting them up?
Yes, you can freeze carrots without cutting them up. Whether you chop them or leave them whole is your choice, and depends on how you will use them later on.
Can you freeze raw / uncooked carrots?
Yes, you can freeze raw, uncooked carrots if you’d like. However, they may lose their color and become mushy when thawed.
Do you have to blanch carrots before freezing?
No, you don’t have to blanch carrots before freezing them. Just keep in mind their texture and flavor may decline if you don’t.
How do you know if frozen carrots are bad?
You’ll know frozen carrots are bad when you notice discolored and/or dry spots on them. This is a sign of freezer burn. They aren’t harmful to eat, but won’t taste very good.
Freezing carrots is a simple and cost effective way to enjoy them all year long. It’s quick, and a great way to keep them on hand whenever you need them.
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More About Food Preservation
- Freezing Corn On Or Off The Cob
- How To Freeze Radishes The Right Way
- Freezing Spinach With Or Without Blanching
- Freezing Green Beans With Or Without Blanching
- How To Freeze Peas The Right Way
- How To Freeze Pumpkin Chunks Or Puree
- How To Freeze Kohlrabi (With Or Without Blanching)
Share your tips for freezing carrots in the comments section below.
Step By Step Instructions
How To Freeze Carrots
Freezing carrots can be done a few different ways. Choose to leave them whole or cut them up, and you can either keep them raw or blanch them first.
Ingredients
- Fresh carrots
Instructions
- Cut off the ends - Use your knife to trim the ends off right below the stem and just above the tip.
- Rinse them - Usually a light rinse is all you need to remove any debris. But you may need to lightly scrub them with a brush if they are caked with dirt from the garden.
- Peel off the outer skin (optional) - You can use a peeler to remove the thin outer layer of skin, but this is optional. If you would like you can leave them unpeeled.
- Cut them up (optional) - If you choose to, slice them up into smaller pieces. This will make them easier to use in recipes later on, but you can leave them whole if you prefer.
- Choose to blanch or not - If you choose to blanch your carrots before freezing, place them into boiling water. Leave whole ones for 5 minutes, and cut pieces 2-3 minutes. Then immediately drop them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Fill the baggies - Make sure to pat them dry before placing them into the freezer bags, otherwise they will stick together. You could also flash-freeze them first to prevent sticking.
- Label the baggie - Use a permanent marker to write the description and the date you froze them on your bags so you know when they’ll expire.
Notes
To prevent sticking, you can flash-freeze the carrot pieces before placing them in the baggie. Simply lay them out on a baking sheet and put them into the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Naomi M Carroll says
I’m considering partially roasting carrots rather than blanching. Do you think this will work? I thought they would be tastier for adding to a variety of dishes or serving as a side.
Amy Andrychowicz says
Yes, I think that would work. I’ve never tried roasting them first, but I definitely will now! Great idea.
Kay says
After blanching and freezing what do I need to do to use them? Is it okay to microwave or just warm up on stovetop? Thanks! This article really simplified the process.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome, I’m so happy my article was helpful! 🙂 You can thaw your carrots before using them, or simply toss them into your recipes. To thaw them before use, I prefer running hot water over the baggie. But if you want to just warm them up for a quick side dish, then your microwave or stovetop would work great.
Terry Ledford says
Terry says,
Thank you for the information on how to freeze carrots both ways! I really appreciate it and looking forward to more ideas! I do have the vacuum seal bags and you said Luke that, they will stay just as fresh and not lose taste or color? Thank you all for giving awesome ideas!!
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome! The vacuum sealer bags will help to keep your frozen carrots fresh longer, and protect them from freezer burn. So yes, that can definitely help them retain their fresh flavor and color longer in the freezer than zipper baggies do.
Paulette Stewart says
I have carrots I’d like to grate for carrot cake sometime in the future. Will freezing them grated cause them to mush?
Amy Andrychowicz says
You can freeze shredded carrots with no issues.
Joyce McKay says
Thank you so much for a recipe site that doesn’t force me to wade through pages and pages of meaningless dialogue in order to get to what I’m looking for!! I plan to bookmark this website because you get right to the point and your information is clear, thorough, and helpful.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome, and thank YOU for your nice comment. 🙂
luke crabb says
have you tried vacuum seal bags .Wash cut freeze on cookie sheet with paramat paper single layer until frozen hard (i turn my over when tops hard) then but in vacuum seal bags. No blanching i do this with corn and is good for over one year and taste like fresh off the cob
Amy Andrychowicz says
Thanks for sharing your experience about using vacuum seal bags to freeze your carrots, that’s great!
Kate says
Tks! Bought some carrots, forgetting that I already had about a pound of them! I like to make a beef stew soup stock, freeze in portions, then thaw and add vegetables. This way I’ll have carrots cooked, portioned and ready to go in my vacuum bags.
Amy Andrychowicz says
You’re welcome!